Librarians who staff the reference desk at a community college are familiar with the moments when multiple patrons need assistance concurrently. Their needs can vary from technical issues to directional questions, such as the location of the restroom, to deeper reference questions that require the librarian's time and focused attention to conduct…

This paper in the form of story discusses a college student's information search process. In this story we see Kuhlthau's information search process: initiation, selection, exploration, formulation, collection, and presentation. Katie is a student who goes in search of information for her class research paper. Katie's class readings, her interest…

This paper will examine the learning needs of millennial students, a generation different from any previous generation, so librarians should adjust their teaching methods to accommodate their needs. Should we, as librarians, consider changing our reference services--the way we present instruction and the materials that we order for the library?…

Situations arise almost every day of a reference librarian's working life in which a student (or a professor, a colleague, or a person off the street) asks a straightforward question that the librarian recognizes in a specific way. On the other hand, there are specific questions that come up fairly often and routinely lead to further queries. What…

This paper is a review of literature that explores how community college and junior college students use libraries and seek information. A key issue that is discussed among scholars, researchers, and librarians in general is the implosion of the Internet and how libraries have shifted focus from using print resources to online databases and…

What is a ready reference collection? A stack of reference books selected according to personal interests? Each institution is unique in its needs and so are the collections that each library carries. The curricula and programs determine the collection development policies and the student population justifies the needs for their implementation. Is…

This article is about the information needs and information-seeking behaviors of community college and lower division undergraduates. The students in the studies were either four year lower division or community college students. The majority of the students studied were average college age students between eighteen and twenty two-years old. A few…

Community colleges can use market surveys to better understand the delivery of library services from the standpoint of the end user. One such survey, LibQUAL+, measures library service in three dimensions: 1. Affect of Service (patron interaction with library staff); 2. Information Control (availability of needed resources and ease of accessing);…

Student use of electronic books has become an accepted supplement to traditional resources. Student use and satisfaction was monitored through an online course discussion board. Increased use of electronic books indicate this service is an accepted supplement to the print book collection.

Although much attention has been given to the process of teaching older patrons about new technologies, the following study shows that younger patrons often require instruction in older technologies to feel comfortable using information in those formats. A survey was conducted among 80 undergraduate and graduate students aged 18-30, at the…

This study examines college libraries so as to determine whether or not they have successfully adapted to reforms at their colleges, based on Terry O'Banion's concept of the learning-college. Although numerous studies exist documenting the transformation of community colleges to the learning-college concept, few empirical studies have clarified…

All of us, regardless of experience or achievement, need an occasional reaffirmation of our core knowledge and beliefs. This un-embellished narrative of a real-life reference interview reinforces the importance of persistent but polite attentiveness to the unexpressed needs of library users and, it is hoped, serves as an inspirational reminder not…

Since the advent of the Internet and particularly the ability to search pages on the World Wide Web, the role of the library in this information age has been changing rapidly; no longer is it possible to only be an expert on collections, subject categorization and call number organization, the librarian must also be a technologist and a diviner of…

Discusses a pilot project between a class instructor and a reference librarian to develop a Web site of online resources for a community college class in world religions. The site may be seen as an extension of traditional collection development into new electronic resources, but also a new partnering of instructors and librarians to address the…

Describes the thinking and research involved in implementing an electronic reference service to Raritan Valley Community College's Library Web Page. Discusses implementation of a jargon-free "Ask a Librarian" service with well-defined procedures and a plan for advertising the service. Ideas incorporated in the procedures and plans are based on the…